In late 1941 Japanese army general Hideki Tojo
became the nation's prime minister. A determined leader,
Tojo was not afraid to challenge Britain and the U.S.
for power in East Asia. The Tojo government leaned
toward the navy's approach. Japan began planning for
surprise attacks all across the Pacific -- from Hong Kong
to Hawaii.

Attacking Pearl Harbor was one of the riskiest operations
in military history. The brilliant Admiral Isoroku
Yamamato made a plan. Japanese forces, centered
around four aircraft carriers, would have to assemble
at a remote north Japanese island and then cross thousands
of miles of ocean to Hawaii--in secret.

Even as they prepared for war, the Japanese continued
to negotiate for a better economic agreement with the U.S.
Two Japanese diplomats, Kichasaburo Nomura and Saburo Kurusu,
met with U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull throughout
the fall of 1941. But little progress was made towards
a peaceful solution to the growing conflict between
the two nations.

Meanwhile, after years of work, American military intelligence
broke several important Japanese naval and diplomatic
communications codes. From decoded documents, it became
obvious that Japan was planning a major military strike
somewhere in the Pacific. Still, it wasn't clear when
or where the attack would come. The Philippines seemed
the most likely target. No one thought the Japanese
would be bold enough to strike all the way to Hawaii.

The first ships of the Japanese task force left their
base in the Kurile Islands on November 26. The following
day a message went out to American generals and admirals
in Hawaii, the Philippines, and the Panama Canal Zone:
"Consider this dispatch a war warning."

Negotiate - to bargain or discuss something so that
you can come to an agreement.

Diplomat - a person who represents his or her country's
government in a foreign country.